UNICEF launches humanitarian campaign to save severely malnourished children in Sudan, Yemen and Gaza

Lack of access to food in crisis zones pushes one child into malnutrition every minute

Zagreb, 24 February 2025 – The number of children facing hunger, poverty and violence continue to rise, and projections show that in 2026 a record number of children will require humanitarian assistance, UNICEF warns. Around the world, communities are facing hunger, and millions of children are suffering from severe, life-threatening malnutrition. Despite all the effort families make to protect the health of their youngest, protracted conflicts and extreme weather conditions have become an insurmountable burden. For this reason, the UNICEF Office for Croatia has launched a humanitarian campaign to save severely malnourished children in Sudan, Yemen and Gaza – countries where the situation is exceptionally dire.

Today we are witnessing catastrophic levels of malnutrition, affecting nearly eight million children. Globally, malnutrition is responsible for one in five deaths among children under five, making it one of the greatest threats to child survival.

In Sudan, a severe and largely forgotten crisis continues, with millions of displaced children and families struggling to access food and humanitarian assistance. In Yemen, millions of children and women have been battling food insecurity and nutrient deficiencies for years. In Gaza, where famine was officially confirmed for the first time in August 2025, the destruction of infrastructure and limited access to humanitarian aid have resulted in tens of thousands of acutely malnourished and sick children, including documented deaths linked to hunger. 

“UNICEF supplies 80 per cent of the world’s specially developed therapeutic food that saves children’s lives – an irreplaceable treatment that can mean the difference between life and death in just a few days. The situation in Sudan, Yemen and Gaza is extremely challenging, and our teams on the ground witness growing needs for health care, safe drinking water and therapeutic food every day. We are working to respond to every one of these needs, but the situation is rapidly deteriorating and requires more support than ever before. We therefore call on people across Croatia to once again join in solidarity with those who need help the most – so that together we can provide urgently needed therapeutic food and save as many children’s lives as possible,” the UNICEF Office for Croatia states.

Malnutrition has a devastating impact on children’s survival, growth, and development. It is not caused only by lack of food, but also by inadequate diets, diseases such as malaria, limited access to clean water, and lack of health services. Timely treatment of severe acute malnutrition saves lives, while untreated cases put children at immediate risk of death.

Ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) is a true lifesaver for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition. It is a high-energy peanut-based paste enriched with vitamins and minerals. It can be consumed anytime and anywhere – directly from the sachet, without water, refrigeration or cooking – making it an indispensable life-saving treatment in emergencies and harsh conditions. 
With €18, one child receives two daily RUTF meals for a full month of treatment; €80 provides therapeutic milk for 15 children for one week; and €303 ensures one additional daily RUTF meal for 100 children over ten days.

By donating, you are providing therapeutic food for children with severe acute malnutrition, supporting UNICEF’s nutrition treatment centers and mobile teams who reach children in hard-to-access areas, and delivering urgent humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable.

All information about the campaign and ways to support it can be found at www.unicef.hr.

You can also donate by transferring funds to UNICEF's account: 
HR9223600001501092532 
Reference number: 2662-98 
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